Sheesh. I seem to have a lot to say today. Must be the Mountain Dew. Yummy.

Definitions:

Nerd, n: an unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; especially : one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits. <computer nerds>
Geek, n:
1. a carnival performer whose act usually includes biting the head off a live chicken or snake
2. a person often of an intellectual bent who is disapproved of

Last night I, yet again, bumped into a friendly someone who told me I should't go around calling myself a computer nerd / geek, that I was "so much more than that". This keeps happening - probably because when people ask what I do for a living I just tell them I'm a computer nerd. Pompous title's aren't really my thing. I mean, what sort of person would go around introducing themselves as "Internet Guru and Lead Developer of a Very Important and Exciting Software Project"?

A socially inept pompous ass is my guess.

So I just tell people I'm a nerd, and assume that the big grin, silly hair and friendly attitude will suffice to make them understand that I'm not talking about the socially inept, unstylish and unattractive nerd from the dictionary - although that probably decribed me pretty well for a while during my adolescence.

That's how I felt anyway, which is probably why I still identify strongly with both terms - I grew up seeing myself in them (although I've never actually bitten the head off any live animals) to some extent (always more nerd than geek though). As I've grown more comfortable in my own skin and acquired more social skills, I still don't feel I've left the nerd behind. I've just put him in nicer packaging. I'm proud of who I am and how I got to be this way - proud I was, and am, a nerd.

So when people tell me I shouldn't call myself a nerd or geek, I get a little offended even though I know better. Even though they mean it as a compliment, I feel like they're telling me I should be ashamed of who I was - they're insulting the me of ten years ago.

I always have to grab a change-the-subject card from my mental filing cabinet when that happens...

I've noticed that a lot of "late bloomers" like me, who spent their childhood or teenage years being nerds or geeks (bookworms, computer geeks, movie buffs, roleplayers etc. etc.) tend to use use both terms with pride or affection. If a grown-up nerd calls you a nerd, it's probably a compliment.

Alot of people don't understand that.